Card game



0 y 1942- I P. J. BENRATH 2,284,256

' (mm) GAME Filed June 13, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 5 e APRIL M Y Jun:

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LABOR DA; THANKSGIVING DAY \FNQST MONDAY LAST THUR5DAY yawn mm IN NOVEMBER Inventor Mk1 fiencai/b,

Patented May 26, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARD GAME I Paul J. Benrath, La Grange, Ill. Application June 13, 1938, Serial No. 213,437

' 6 Claims. (01. 273-152) This invention relates to a card game and more particularly to a card game that is educational as well as entertainingin character and involving the names and certain information regarding the thirty-one men'who have served as presidents of the United States, and also involving the twelve months of the year and certainholidays.

Among the objects of this invention is to provide a card game that is educational as pointed out above and in other respects that will later more fully appear, as well as such game that will sharpen thewits and cultivate alertness, and at the same time afford the players with a maximum of pleasure and eliminate the undesirable features of dull moments and lack of interest.

Other objects, advantages and capabilities inherent in the invention will later more fully appear.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a face' view of twelve cards, shown partly overlapping for convenience, showing one on each card the twelve months of the ye'anand each card bearing certain information regarding the month indicated thereon.. V I

Fig. 2 is a face view, in two rows, of thirty cards, shown, except for one card, partly overlapping for conservation of space, the thirty cards being numbered from 2 to 31 consecutively,

the number on each card appearing large. in the one for each of the thirty-one men who have served as presidentsof the United States (Grover Cleveland being the twenty-secondand twentyfourth president) as shown in Fig; 3, (4) of one card representing Labor day or any other day generally observed as a holiday as seen in Fig. 4, and (5) one card representing Thanksgiving day or any other day desired which'is generally observed as a holiday as shown in Fig. 5.

Describing each of these five groups in detail and referring firstto'those'sho'wn in Fig. 1, this group consists of twelve cards, one for each of the twelve months of the year, each having the name of the month printed thereon above the large numeral I in the center, and below said numeral I the designation as to which monthnue I merically it is and the number of days in that 7 February has similar information descriptive of Leap Year February has 29 days.

that month, to-wit, the 'word' February above the large numeral I in the center of the card, and the designation below the numeral I that February. is the 2nd month and has'28 days. Also below this the further information that in The numeral 2 is added to the top center of the February card because of February being the secondmonth, and

' in each of the upper left-hand corner and lower cards, respectively bearing the names of the thirty-one men who have served as presidents of the United States, together with certain information regarding each.

Fig. 4 is a face view of a card bearing the name of a day generally observed as a holiday, and certain information regarding the holiday named.

Fig. 5 is a face view of another card bearing the name of another day generally observed as a holiday, together with certain information regarding that holiday.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, it will be seen that this card game comprises preferably a total of seventy-five cards composed of five groups made up (1) of twelve cards, one for each month of the year as shown in Fig. 1, (2) of thirty cards numbered consecutively from 2 to 31 as shown in Fig. 2, (3) of thirtywne Gal-18,

right-hand corner are the numerals I and 2, the

I designating that this is one of the month group and the 2 designating February the second month of the year. May has the enlarged numeral I in a card from group I (meaning themonth group),

less of whether the card is held in the hand right side up or upside down. Also'in the middlev of the top of the May card when held right side up is the numeral 5 because of May being the fifth month. Each of the twelve month cards is correspondingly arranged with an enlarged numeral I in the center, the name of the month immediately thereabove, and the number of the month as well as the number of days immediately below said enlarged number, with the number of the month also in the middle of the upper edge of the card and the numeral I immediately above a number representing the number of the month in the year in the upper left-hand corner, and numbers in the lower right-hand corner similar to those in the upper left-hand corner except for being upside down for reasons pointed out above. This order and arrangement of names and numbers on the month cards will be readily understood from an inspection of Fig. 1.

The enlargednumber in the center of each of the month cards as well as each of the numerals I in each of the upper left-hand corner and lower righthand corner; will preferably be in red because of being numbers that'count against the player if held in his hand, at the end of the game, as will be explained more, fully later in describing howthe game is played. Also as described more fully laterherein in addition to the numetal I because of being, red counting against the player if held in his hand at the end of the game, these numerals I also indicate that one of the month-cardsis to be the first card played at the beginning of the game.

Referring. now to Fig. 2, it will be seen that this bers appearing one on each (card consecutively from 2 to; 31. Also each of these cards bearsa numberinea'ch of the upper left-hand and lower group ofcards comprises thirty cards; each beare ing in its'center. an enlarged number, these num right-handicorners corresponding to the number in the center of the card, but smaller and positionediso that whichever: corner-number is at the top: it will be read ih proper position to enable a" quick reading 'of these: numbers regardlessv of 'whether'thei cardsbe heldin the hand upside er, as will? be later 'morexfully described. While Y all except the. first card, bearing the number 2, are shown in Fig.2 as'being overlapped one over the other, the onlyupper faces being completely visible beihg'cards 2, 1'6 and 31, it is to be understood that each of the other cards are corre- 'sp ondingly printed as described above, to-wit, the number in. the'center of the cards willin crease consecutively and each cardwill have in its upper left-hand corner and: reversed in posithe Word President printed across its face. Also in this group, as in the preceding groups, the enlarged number in the center is printed in red as well as the corresponding number in the upper left-hand corner and lower right-hand corner, this red color indicating that such numbers (or the sum of such numbers if more than one is held) if held in the hand of the player at the end of the game count against that player as explained later.

Also each of the cards in this president group in addition to the consecutive numbers referred to above in the center of the card, carry just above such number the name'ofthe man who was president of the United States in that consecutive order, and below such number the date of his birthjand the date of his death. Also in theupper left-hand corner (in reverse position in the lower right-hand corner) immediately below the number corresponding to the number in the center of'the card is a'number corresponding to-the day of :the month that that president was born, and immediately below thisa number corresponding to the day of the month that that president died: -Also;in the middle of the top of each of these president cards is a number correspondingfito the day of themonth that that particular president was born, and in the upper right-hand corner'is a number corresponding to the day of the. month that'that' particular president died. For example, on the president card'havingthe enlarged red numeral I in the center, thename George Washington appears directly thereabove, while directly below this central number appears in two linesthe information born Feb. 22, '1732-and. died Dec. 14, 1799, thus showing the date on which George Washington, the first president, was born, and the date he died. In the upper left-hand corner of this card appear in sequence vertically the numerals I, 22 and I4, the I indicating that he was the 'first president, the 22 indicating that he was bornon the 22nd day of the month, and than indicating that he died on the 14th day of the month. Also the 22 in thecentral' portion of the top of the card indicates that he was born on the 22nd day of themonth, and the M in the upper right-hand corner indicates that he died on the 14th day-of the month. As stated above, numbers corresponding to those in the upper left-hand corner of the card are also placed in the lower right-hand corner but upsidedown so that thesevnumbers may be read either'way the cardv is held in the hand of the player. The same significance attaches to each of the other cards for the particular president named thereon, for example, card It shows that Abraham tiom in" the lower. right-hand corner, a number 1 corresponding to the enlarged number in the center. For-example, card 10 will have a It in the upper left-hand corner, an enlarged I 0 in representing the thirty-one men'who have served as presidents of the United States; their'names appearing immediately above the enlarged numberinthe center, the center number also having Lincoln wasthe sixteenth man to serve as president of the United States, that he was born February '12, 1809, that he diedApril 15, 1865, and

, this card has the numbers I6, I2 and I5 in verhe was born on the 12th day of the month, and

the I5 in the .upper right-hand corner indicates that he died on the 15th day of the month.

The card shown in, Fig. 4 bears the name Labor day andthe information thereunder days in the month of the month card first played. For example, if the first month card played is that Labor day is the-first Monday in September.

The card shown in Fig. bears'the name of the holiday Thanksgiving day and the information thereunder that Thanksgiving day is the last Thursday in November. It will, of course, be understood that instead of these two particular holidays, any other outstanding days may be selected for these cards with the corresponding information without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The color scheme onthe cards is red, White and blue, the penalty numbers being red, the other numbers and letters being blue, and the background of the face of each .card beingwhite. Other colors may be used if desired.

Having described the details of the various cards in the various groups, the manner of playing this game will now be described.

To play the game the dealer deals out nine cards each for two to five players, seven cards each for five to eight players and five cards each for morethan eight players. The dealer then turns the deck face down on the table and the player next to the left of the dealer first draws one card from the top of the deck and then in order to be able to make a play on the board the player must have one of the twelve month cards to start the game, or if he does not have one of the twelve month cards he must discard a card face up alongside of the deck. If the player has one of the twelve month cards he can make only one play by laying this or any other month card that he might happen to have face up on the table and then discard one card face up as stated alongside of the deck. Then the next player to the left draws a card either from the top of the deck or the top of the discard pile as he chooses, and then makes his play on the table if able. In order to make a play on the table the player must have either one of the other month cards falling within the same quarter of the year that the first month card played falls or a card having along its top edge a numher next consecutively larger than the red I at the upper left-hand corner of the month card 1 first played. In other words, in order'to be able to play the player must have a card in his hand which has anywhere along the top row of numbers on the card a 2, which 2 can be either red or blue,- or a month card in the same quarter as the month card already played. When playing a second or third month card it must be placed laterally separate from the month card already played so as to start another column. After making one play on the board the player then discards any card he chooses face up on top of the discard pile.

The next player to the left likewise first draws a card from the top of the deck or discard pile and then may play either one of the other two month cards in the same quarter ora card having along its upper edge a number next successively higher than the number on the card last played in alignment with the red numeral l in the upper left-hand corner of the first card. In other words, a 3, or'a month card in the same quarter. After making this play the player then discards one card face up on the top of the discard pile, and the next player to the left proceeds in the same manner untilone of theplayers is out of cards, in which case he is the winner and the others are respectively beaten by the total of the red numbers on thecards still remaining in their hand. The total number of cards played in any aligned row must equal the number of July, which shows on its face to have 31 'days, there must be thirty-one cards in this aligned column, and the numbers in alignment must run consecutively from the l in the upper left-hand corner of the card first played to 3| on the last card played. Asstated, except for its being compulsory to buildup on the l in the upper lefthand corner of the first card played, any number can be used appearing in the top row of the respective cards played, providing that such number be the next consecutively larger number 7 with relation to the card on which it is laid, and the numbers must bein alignment; as stated, with the I in the upper left-hand corncrof the first card played. I

As is well known, the four quarters of a year constitute January, February and March for the first quarter, April, May and June for the second quarter, July, August and September for the third quarter and October, November and December for the fourth quarter. When the game is started by the first player playing a month card on the board or table, this limits the rest of the game to the three months in that quarter within which the first card played falls, so that if, for example, January is the first card played,

each player in turn must either build up starting" with the l in the upper left-hand corner of the first card played with the numbers consecutively, or play a card representing one of the other two months in the same quarter, for example, either February or March. If May is the first card played (it being kept in mind that the first play is always limited to 'one of the twelve month cards), then the players in their proper order to the left must either play a successive numerical build-up card in the manner stated above or play one of the other two cards constituting the other two months of that particular quarter. Assuming May to be the first month card played, the only other month cards that can be laid on the table during a pla'yers'turn' is either April or June, which are then open to be built upon with successive numbers in alignment with the l in the upper left-hand corner of the month card as stated above. l

If September is the first month'card played, the numbers will be successively built up to 30 as September has thirty days as stated on the face of the September card. If August is the first month card played, the numbers will be' cards except the three month cards of the particular quarter involved may be used for the successive building up operation. In other words, any one of the numbers along-the upper edge of any one of the other month cards outside of that quarter may be used, as well as any one of the numbers at or along the upper edge of any of the other cards, including the number cards or the president cards, may be used inthe building up operation, but it should be kept in mind that the building up must occur in alignment with the l in theupper left-hand corner of the first' card played and the numbers be laid on the board in sequence.

If, the player about to play sees that he can make a play with thetop face up card of the discard pile, he is at liberty to draw that card instead of the top card from the up-turned deck if he chooses, but each player must draw a card from one or the other of these two places'before playing. After making a play he must then discardone card face up upon thediscard pile. To put it another way,- each player first draws. one card, next makes. aplay if able, and third discards ,a card face upon the discard pile.- In

discarding he can, of course, discard any car from his hand which he chooses;

In playing the month cards outside of the quar-. ter being played, the numbers at'the top of the card can be used the same as the numbers at the top of any of the other cards in building upv the numerical sequence. For example, if the first card played is February, the other two months of that quarter being January and March,

April, which is the fourth month, can be used as a 4 after the 3 card has been played, plac ing the 4 under the 3 in'alignment therewith.

. I, the cards in the presidentv group bearing The two holiday cards, to-wit. Labor day and Thanksgiving dayare good for any play that the player chooses. In other wordsgthe player can call either of these two holiday cards any number he chooses at any time he chooses and use them in any play he chooses,"except he cannot play either of them asthe first card played or as the first card in starting anew column. As these two holiday cards'do notcount for any points, since they do not have anyred numbers thereon,

it would be to the players advantage to save these cards as long as possible in the hope that when holding that card only in his hand he could go out and thus be the winner. Y a

'If a player has a play on the board and does not make it but discards the card that he could have played, any player who first calls the players attention to his mistake is entitled to give the player making the mistake one of the cards from his hand. This, however, applies only when the player discards without making a play. If he first makes a play and then discards a card that could be played, this is not called a mistake;

When the deck is all out and no one has won, the game caneither be terminated at that time and the onehaving the smallest total of red numbers on the cards still in his hand wins, the 'degree of defeat of the others being determined by theirytotal of red numbers, the greater the total thegreater the defeat. If it is desired to continue the game the discard pile can be turned over without shuffling and the game continue either as long asdesired or until one of the players goes out. v

While I have shown particular groups of specific cards in the deck of my new game,'I wish it understood that the groups or any of them or any ofthe cards in any of the groups may be varied byomitting some or adding others, and that the particular group or specific information on the cards and arrangement of the same are susceptible of modification and change without departing from the spirit of my invention. The. holiday cards may be changed in name or character, omitted entirely, or increased in number,

, which is also true of each of theother groups:

a pack of cards comprising three groups based numerals in sequence from 1 to 31, and the cards in the remaining group bearing numerals in sequence from 2 to 31, the cards in the .three'groups being capableof being built up in sequence from 1" to a numeral equal to the number of days in the month of the month card first played.

2. 'In a card game a pack of cards having three groups of cards, comprising a month group, a presidential group and a numeral group, the month group. having a 'card for each month of theyear; each cardbearing in its central portion a numeral 1 in red color and on each of its upperleft-hand and lower right-hand comers the same numeral in red color, the presidential group having a card for each of the thirty-one men who has served as president of the United States, each of these cards having the name of one of .said men thereon with a red number in the center corresponding to the numerical order the longest month of the year, whereby groups may be formed with a month card first and other cards from any of the three groups following in sequence from 2 to a number corresponding to the number of days in the month of that particular month card. a

l 3. In a card game a pack of cards having two group'sof cards comprising a month group and a presidential group, the month group having a card for each month of the year and each card thereof bearing in its central portion a numeral in red color and on two of its marginal edges also in red the'same numeral and a different colored numeral corresponding to the numerical order'o'f the month, the presidential group having a card for each of the thirty-one men who has served as president of the United States, with his name thereon together with a major numeral in red color representing the numerical order of the serving of that man, the same numeral also appearing in red color on two of the marginal edges of the same card, there also appearing in other color than red along at least one edge of each of the presidential cards numberscorresponding to the day of the month of. that presidents birth and the day of the month of his death, whereby groups may be formed starting with 'a month card and continuing in sequence with marginal numerals on other cards up to the number of days in the month of the first card.

4. A card game having a pack of cards comprising three groups of cards, one group consisting of one card each for all of the months of the year, each of'these cards having a numeral 1 and also a numeral corresponding to the numerical order of the month in the year, another group having one on, each card the names of the thirtyone men who have served as president of the United States, and also numerals representing the numerical order of that man as president and the day of the month of his birth and the day of the month of his death, and. the third group bearing numbers from 2 to 31, whereby groups may be formed with a month card at the beginning and other cards with their numerals progressing in sequence from the numeral 1 to a number corresponding to the number of days in the month of the beginning card.

5. A card game having a pack of cards comprising a card for each month of the year each bearing the name of its respective month, a numeral representing the numerical order of the month in the year, the number of days in that month and the numeral 1, and a group'of thirtyone president cards bearing respectively the names of the thirty-one men who have served as president of the United States, together with a numeral representing the numerical order of the serving of that man, and a numeral corresponding to the day of the month of his birth and a numeral corresponding to the day of the month of his death, and a group of numeral cards bearing numerals running in sequence from 2to 31, whereby groups may be formed beginning with a month card and the number of days in that month built up in sequence from the other cards.

6. In a card game a pack of cards having three groups of cards comprising a month group, a presidential group and a numeral group, the month group having a card for each month of the year and each bearing in its central portion a numeral 1 in red color and the name of the month, the numerical value of the month and the number of days in that particular month, each of said month cards having in its upper left-hand corner in red color the numeral 1 and immediately therebelow a numeral representing the numerical value of the month in some other color than red, and also near the middle of the upper edge of said card a number representing the numerical value of that month in some other color than red, the presidential group having a card for each of the thirty-one men who have served as president of the United States, each of these presidential cards having the name of one of said men thereon With a red number in the center corresponding to the numerical order of the serving of that man as president with a corresponding red numeral on its upper left-hand corner, and each of said presidential cards also having in its central portion in other color than red the date of birth and the date of death of that respective president, each of the presidential cards also having in its upperleft-hand corner numerals in other color than red and in vertical alignment, corresponding to the days of the month and death of that respective president, and a numeral in the middle of the upper edge portion in other color than red corresponding to the day of birth of that president, and a numeral in color other than red in the upper right-hand corner corresponding to the day of death of that president, the numeral'group of cards bearing one to a card, in sequence in red letter central numerals from 2 to 31 and a red numeral in the upper left-hand corner corresponding to the central numeral, there being no numeral on any of the cards of the three groups exceeding a numeral equal to the number of days in the longest month of the year whereby after the 7 cards are dealt a player will first play a month card and the following players after the first play will each in turn lay on the board a card having the next higher number over the preceding card, any month card in the same quarter as that,

of the first card played on the board to one side of the first month card played, and thereafter the players in turn laying on the board a card having the next higher number over the preceding card until one .of the players goes out and becomes winner, the only month cards playable to start a new column in the manner set forth above being month cards from the same quarter as that of the first month card played, each column terminating with a number corresponding to the number of days in the month of the first card played in that particular column.

PAUL J. BENRATH. 

